It’s Official, Transit Center is an Ugly Mess
By Silver Springer • May 13th, 2008 • Category: Government and Politics, Real Estate
So who wants to continue to leave their name on it? How many proponents want to continue to raise their hands in support? Which of Montgomery County Government “cohorts†wants to continue to feed the public from the trough of B.S.?
Something unprecedented has happened, something that’s contrary to what officials involved in the project have told us; words to wise would be to steer clear or get it right. Montgomery County Planning Board Chairman Royce Hanson readily admits that the planned Silver Spring Transit Center is “Ugly†noting it could have been much more beautiful in a Gazette article. This is without any hesitation, in his own words and quite blatant about it. The Chairman couldn’t have been any clearer. This is probably a first for a public/private project.
To make matters worse Councilmember Valerie Ervin uses the same language, saying that “When the county bypassed the review process for the Silver Spring Transit Center, it ended up with a building that is uglyâ€.
Should we be building public projects with tax payer money that even the County government is calling ugly? Let that marinate for a few.
According to the article the County Executive branch wants to bypass the planning department when it comes to building public projects or even public/private projects. So we end with projects like the planned Silver Spring Transit Center; which in reality hasn’t gotten anywhere any faster even with the mandatory referal.
The Planning department has told us time and time again that they have no bearing on development architecture and design; “it’s just not what we doâ€. But the Silver Spring Transit Center is so bad that the Chairman couldn’t contain himself, didn’t take the time posture his words because he wouldn’t be fooling anybody who’s seen the plans. Truth be told, it’s just plain ugly, a really bad design, no hiding it.
I feel sorry for the architects/designers who will be known as the group that designed the project, that the renowned planning board Chairman called flat out ugly. Shame-shame. The lowest bid was probably accepted but I’ve seen better done with even the lowest of budgets.
Architect firm Zimmer, Gunsul and Frasca was actually chosen after Silver Spring based Torti Gallas and partners was kicked out.
While current County Executive Leggett can’t totally be blamed for the eye soar that will become the Silver Spring Transit Center (as the troubles stem from previous exec Douglas Duncan); nothing is being done by Leggett to correct the mistake either. This will go down as a fumble on the revitalizing Silver Spring under Leggett’s watch whether fair or not. And it’s a scar that’s expected  to last the next 100 years even with cost cutting.
The Mandatory referral that pushed the Federally funded project through was done so by way of former planning board Chairman Derrick Berlage.
Years and years of delays, thrown out plan after thrown out plan; only to end up worse from when the County started. The transit center has been in planning for close to 15 years. The democratic stronghold that’s Montgomery County has earned the nickname “Paralysis by Analysis†and it shows. It’s too bad the end result can actually be far worse then what the County started with.
 The Silver Spring Transit Center will be the result of engineers (and not architects) gone wild.
Montgomery County’s Department of Public Works and Transportation; an automobile centric department, has no business creating places in urban spaces. Their boundaries are overstepped and the love for the car goes so far as to dictate architecture and building design. For example a rule for buildings at street corners to be truncated at a diagonal so that drivers can have better line-of-sight.
Shri Gondhalekar with DPWT and Primary Project Manager of Design for the Silver Spring Transit Center, often touts the cost cutting goals achieved for the 3 level bus depot “Transit Center” but the bulk of the project is financed by federal funding.
Out of the $73,105,000 allocated for the Silver Spring Transit Center bus depot. $52,317,000 or 71% is federal aid and $13,979,000 is state aid. Leaving less than $6,809,000 from other sources and what the County actually has to handle.
I saw this coming about two years ago, I’m just glad some people in a higher position in the County Government have finally admitted it, unfortunately it took two years to admit this and it might be too little too late. But how can we keep such a disaster from happening again? And how does Paul Spyros Sarbanes whom the Transit Center is being named after feel about having his name placed on a project known all over the region for being “ugly�
Time and time again lackluster projects have proven that their needs to be an architectural review system in the County because what we have now is not  working.
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I don’t get it. There’s been no groundbreaking or any kind of construction yet on this proposed transit center, so how can it be too late to change plans? If it’s a contracting issue, then terminate the contract for the convenience of the government — this will involve a minimal loss to the County — and start over.
[quote comment="4338"]I don’t get it. There’s been no groundbreaking or any kind of construction yet on this proposed transit center, so how can it be too late to change plans? If it’s a contracting issue, then terminate the contract for the convenience of the government — this will involve a minimal loss to the County — and start over.[/quote]
Well, construction is expected to start in late July.
If public officials are calling it ugly it really will be ugly. Kudos that Silver Spring Civic Center. seems like Silver Spring is the dumping gound for Montgomery County’s architectual trash.
[quote comment="4340"]If public officials are calling it ugly it really will be ugly. Kudos that Silver Spring Civic Center. seems like Silver Spring is the dumping gound for Montgomery County’s architectual trash.[/quote]
So…does that mean the Civic Center design gets a thumbs up?
I just saw the picture of the proposed transit center (it didn’t open the first time I came here). I don’t know what you all are complaining about. It reminds me of the great train stations of Europe…albeit immediately after the air bombings of WWII.
Seriously, what Soviet Union-era function over form hack designed this thing?
[quote comment="4343"]I just saw the picture of the proposed transit center (it didn’t open the first time I came here). I don’t know what you all are complaining about. It reminds me of the great train stations of Europe…albeit immediately after the air bombings of WWII.
Seriously, what Soviet Union-era function over form hack designed this thing?[/quote]
LOL, the ones called Zimmer, Gunsul and Frasca and Montgomery County Department of Public Works and Transportation.
so are those solid columns or blocks next to the station or are they buildings? They couldn’t have done any better than that?
Heck give me $50K and I can come up with a better design than that. So you mean that firm wants to be remembered for this? I hope they are not looking to generate anymore business…
All we can hope for is that the private sector developments that will be in front will block out the the view of the ugliness.
Planners Invite Residents to Open Up at Takoma/LangleyCrossroadsOpen House, Contribute to Community Plan
SILVER SPRING, MD – Planners from Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, developing a plan to improve quality of life in the Takoma/Langley Crossroads through land use, transportation and pedestrian safety improvements, are hosting an open house on Wednesday, May 21 to hear from the community.
The open house at the Langley Park Community Center will provide an opportunity for residents and other interested stakeholders to specify what development they would like to see in the Crossroads area. Planners will provide a short presentation on the sector plan and encourage people to stop by to both learn about the plan’s progress and contribute their good ideas.
The sector plan creates a vision of the community over the next decade or more and makes recommendations on such issues as land use, housing needs, pedestrian safety, transportation, open space and more.
The sector plan is especially timely, considering the transit improvements planned for the Crossroads, including the Purple Line, a 14-mile transit system proposed to connect Metro to Bethesda, Silver Spring, College Park and Riverdale Park. Purple Line planners propose two stops within the Takoma/Langley Crossroads community: the intersections of University Boulevard and New Hampshire Avenue and at University Boulevard and Riggs Road.
Moreover, state transportation officials have committed to building a bus transit station that would consolidate area bus stops in a central location on New Hampshire Avenue. Maryland transit officials will be on hand to discuss planned improvements at the May 21 meeting.
The 574-acre planning area runs in a one-half mile circumference around New Hampshire Avenue and University Boulevard. The sector plan represents a joint effort of the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission – planners from both Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties – with the city of Takoma Park.
Who: Members of the community joining the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and the city of Takoma Park
What: The Takoma/Langley Crossroads Sector Plan community open house
When: 4 - 8:30 p.m. Wednesday May 21
Where: Langley Park Community Center, 1500 Merrimac Drive, Langley Park
[...] “value engineered”, at least when it comes to Silver Spring. Just look at the “Paul Sarbanes Transit Center “value engineered” but still over budget by more than $16 million. The guy partly [...]